A couple years ago I unwillingly passed my NA2 NSX-T onto the owner of a local NSX body shop. It was a car I had decided to keep forever...until my habit of 2am driving + moist canyon roads got the better of said plan. Prior to our little encounter with a rail 2x...she was a 6-speed with spotless Hx and perfect PPI - $50k @ <50k miles. My other car at the time was a track prepped 3.8 GT3 - newer, way faster, louder, yet like an annoying girlfriend with too many quirks and impractical limitations...just not the kind you plan to stay with forever. Driving the NSX though was like being in a finely built jewel box, and it was a joy every time I got in it. Even being 13 years old, the NSX felt tight & nimble. Despite the kinda wimpy 290hp, it was plenty for my purposes of canyon carving between home and work. Even the annoyance of finding a capable mechanic - God bless Los Angeles - or tracking down hard-to-find parts was "worth it".
The problem came when replacing the car was now going to cost me $20K+ more than before. If I wanted an extremely low mileage example (the new plan), things were clearing $100k. I no longer had the GT3 (as planned), but I couldn't convince myself that the now inflated prices of a Gen1 NSX were justified. Last year, I started looking at potential alternatives...reliable, all-aluminum, open-top, mid-engine manual tranny cars = Gen1 R8 V10 Spyder. Got it in Spyder so I can hear the engine whirling behind me. Has a very mechanical sound somewhat like the NSX. Handling...better but very much like the NSX. Both cars give me the feeling of driving a finely constructed machine compared to other sports car (sub-$200k)...it must be the aluminum that makes the chasis feel different. Likelihood of spinning into the rails in the hands of an amateur like myself...hopefully less with the quattro system. Honestly, I hardly get to use the extra 200+ hp...but it's definitely nice to have.
Audi has stopped production of 3-pedal R8s with it's current generation. For NSX owners who enjoy the open top experience...the Spyder is the one to get. V10 in manual of course. Prices have now come down to near parity with a NA2 NSX of similar mileage (<10k miles). As for me, I just got back from work...same canyon road I've been driving for 20 years. Audi figured out how to let you hear the engine on a chilly night...the rear window rolls down with the top up. Honestly, I'd still be driving my NA2 NSX if it was an option. I would have replaced it if pricing had not gone through the roof. So if you can't swallow the current pricing, definitely look at the R8 V10 Spyder.
The problem came when replacing the car was now going to cost me $20K+ more than before. If I wanted an extremely low mileage example (the new plan), things were clearing $100k. I no longer had the GT3 (as planned), but I couldn't convince myself that the now inflated prices of a Gen1 NSX were justified. Last year, I started looking at potential alternatives...reliable, all-aluminum, open-top, mid-engine manual tranny cars = Gen1 R8 V10 Spyder. Got it in Spyder so I can hear the engine whirling behind me. Has a very mechanical sound somewhat like the NSX. Handling...better but very much like the NSX. Both cars give me the feeling of driving a finely constructed machine compared to other sports car (sub-$200k)...it must be the aluminum that makes the chasis feel different. Likelihood of spinning into the rails in the hands of an amateur like myself...hopefully less with the quattro system. Honestly, I hardly get to use the extra 200+ hp...but it's definitely nice to have.
Audi has stopped production of 3-pedal R8s with it's current generation. For NSX owners who enjoy the open top experience...the Spyder is the one to get. V10 in manual of course. Prices have now come down to near parity with a NA2 NSX of similar mileage (<10k miles). As for me, I just got back from work...same canyon road I've been driving for 20 years. Audi figured out how to let you hear the engine on a chilly night...the rear window rolls down with the top up. Honestly, I'd still be driving my NA2 NSX if it was an option. I would have replaced it if pricing had not gone through the roof. So if you can't swallow the current pricing, definitely look at the R8 V10 Spyder.
Last edited: